Local church hosts Martin Luther King Jr. symposium to empower youth
Daniella Lake
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The First Community Baptist Church in Desert Hot Springs hosted a symposium today to empower youth, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. Organizers say the goal is to encourage middle school and high school students to dream big and plan boldly.
“The goal is to teach them about teamwork, to teach them about being positive, teach them about self-confidence and believing in themselves,” says Pastor James Baylark.
The theme of the event was “Build the blueprint. Live the Dream.” Students listened to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “What is your life’s blueprint?” speech where he addresses middle school students in Philadelphia in 1967.
In the speech, Dr. King encourages youth to have a strong sense of self-worth and to strive for excellence in whichever field they choose.
“We have young people who are just doing so many amazing things and we want them to continue to know that they are special and to uplift every single thing that is happening in their lives,” says Quana Hall-Beverly, one of the event organizers.